Lakeside Retreat

Roblin Lake Camp proposal returns after five years in limbo

A proposal to revive a long-standing camp property on Roblin Lake was once again back in front of Prince Edward County’s planning committee last Wednesday, five years after it was first brought forward.

Prince Edward County Lakeside Retreat Inc. is seeking a zoning bylaw amendment that would allow a former summer camp property to operate as a year-round, forprofit tourist accommodation.

The property, located at 467 County Road 19 in Ameliasburgh, sits on a 7.3-hectare parcel with more than 300 metres of shoreline along Roblin Lake, adjacent to the public park and beach. For decades, the site functioned as a seasonal, non-profit summer camp, most recently known as Ignite Camp and Retreat Centre.

Under current zoning, the property is restricted to seasonal, nonprofit use. The requested amendment would permit commercial, year-round operation using existing buildings. No new construction is being proposed at this stage, and any future expansion would require a separate site plan application and additional approvals.

Speaking on behalf of the property owner, Ryan Bent addressed concerns about the proposed use of the former Salvation Army camp at Roblin Lake.

“I just wanted to tell everybody we aren’t looking to build anything new,” Bent said. “We just want to keep the property open for a few extra weeks a year so that we can allow any type of organization, including profit or non-profit, to operate it

Bent emphasized the property’s alignment with tourism and local economic needs. “It’s clearly stated that year-round, high-quality accommodations are needed. The property is directly on a designated tourism corridor and immediately beside a large public park and public works. We will also be creating some much-needed year-round jobs in the community, which is especially important now since the mushroom plant has closed down.”

He reiterated the owner’s vision for the site. “We are not building anything new. We want this to be a high-end, quality family resort for families to create long-lasting memories.”

Mike Seeger, a long-time resident of Roblin Lake, spoke about the potential impact of a proposed resort in the area.

“About 700 people rely on Roblin Lake for our water—residents, folks around the lake, and even the kids at Kente School. That makes this a big concern for all of us.”

His primary worry centres on the water demand from the new resort. “Based on the numbers, we could be looking at around 643,000 litres just in the peak summer months,” he said. “That’s about a 20 per cent increase over what our small plant currently processes. During droughts, I’ve seen the lake go down right in front of my house, and that worries me.”

Seeger also raised questions about the septic system at the camp. “The system is certified for 296 people, which is reassuring, but I don’t know if it actually works as it should. And it’s close to the lake, so any problems could affect everyone’s water.”

Seeger acknowledged the lack of information provided to the community over the past five years. “It would have been much easier for the community to be receptive if we’d had updates sooner. An open house or information session would go a long way to addressing concerns.”

Andrew Shaw, a third-generation resident of Roblin Lake raising the next generation of lake lovers, expressed deep concerns about the impact of a proposed resort development on the small community.

“I live on the east end of the lake,” Shaw said. “The amount of garbage that ends up on our shorelines from just the park down there alone is disgusting. And we are the ones cleaning it up year after year.”

Shaw praised the tight-knit nature of the community and the lake’s role in family life. “We love this community. Everyone talked about how tight-knit it is. We’re all together. We all want to have some questions answered about this whole rezoning because we love this lake. We’re passionate about it. It’s beautiful. It’s quiet. It’s a great place to retire, raise families. I can remember all the amazing times I had as a kid growing up on this lake, and I hope my kids can experience that as well.”

He questioned whether the lake could handle a large influx of visitors. “It’s a small inland lake. You see all these resorts being built in the County—they’re all on Lake Ontario or the Bay of Quinte. It’s a big body of water that can handle it. We have a small, beautiful ecosystem that wouldn’t be able to sustain this. It’s a drinking water source for 700 people. That’s my kids drinking this water.”

Shaw also expressed concerns about the impact on the community’s lifestyle. “They won’t respect our way of living. They’re coming to use and abuse what we have here. I lived in the big city of Chicago and the big city of Montreal, and I chose to live here because it’s peaceful, it’s quiet—a beautiful place to retire and a beautiful place to raise children.”

Mark Vandergraph, a Roblin Lake property owner, raised serious environmental and regulatory concerns about a proposed tourist resort development at the small inland lake.

“Roblin is a small lake. It’s only replenished by precipitation,” Vandergraph said. “With global warming and other issues, an increased draw on this lake is just not going to be sustainable. That’s not only about water use, but also water quality. There’s only a small wetland that actually purifies and cleans this water, and additional use from a resort would likely overwhelm that capacity.”

He warned of the long-term consequences. “Once that water is devastated and phosphorus levels increase, it leads to algal blooms, which would decimate all the activities the resort wants to do. There’s no going back because there’s no tributary to remove or add water—only precipitation.”

Councillor John Hirsch highlighted concerns about how rezoning the property as Tourist Commercial could allow a wide range of uses beyond the developer’s current plans.

““You have stated what you intend to do; however, that could certainly change. If it was simply zoned TC, council no longer has any ability to say yes or no to various proposals.”

Hirsch suggested certain uses he would like to see excluded from the zoning including a golf course, hotel, marina, place of entertainment, recreational vehicle sales and service, and resort establishment.

Steve McNavan, a longtime resident on the west end of Roblin Lake, spoke about the potential consequences of rezoning the former Salvation Army camp for commercial use. He also noted concerns about the property itself.

“I heard the zoning might be residential and wanting to be changed to Tourist Commercial. The property’s been cleared already—about 300 feet of shoreline. They cleared all the trees last year, prepping it for something we don’t know. That obviously wasn’t good for the shoreline, but we need more information on that.”

He highlighted the community perspective and the balance between economic development and environmental protection. “This is a very tight-knit, diverse community. We have people from the city, people from the agricultural community, and a lot of really hardworking, smart people. We understand the economic challenges the province and the country are facing, and we support our local economy. But from a common-sense standpoint, this kind of development could be the wedge that tears a community apart.”

McNavan emphasized the importance of the lake and its water source. “People come here because of strong communities and healthy ecosystems. There’s irrigation downstream, agricultural use, and tourism. Unlike Lake Ontario, which has an unlimited water source, Roblin Lake is small. If you put too much stress on it, people will start to fight over it, and it will stress this community.”

Samantha Deck, the County planner working on the file, noted that land clearing was allowed.

“We don’t necessarily have a tree-clearing or treepreservation bylaw that applies to private property,” she said. “You are allowed to go on your own property and clear trees. Our tree-preservation bylaw would only be triggered if they were going through a Planning Act process or similar. But in terms of tree clearing on private property, they are permitted to do so.”

Spencer Hutchinson, the planner retained to oversee the Roblin Lake rezoning file, clarified his role and timeline regarding the project.

“I got this file the second week of December,” Hutchinson said. “I haven’t been involved for the past four or five years. I didn’t write the original report—I’m not trying to back away—but I was retained in December to help finish the file off.”

He emphasized the purpose of the evening’s meeting. “This was set up as an information meeting, not to give every answer tonight. There are a lot of studies and reports that have to come back. I apologize that there aren’t a lot of answers tonight. I’ve tried to provide as much as I can, but there’ll be more, and we will provide everything and facilitate the process.”

Hutchinson also indicated plans for broader community engagement. “We may hold an open house in Ameliasburgh, year-round, to get everybody together, discuss the reports beforehand, and answer questions in person.”